You Belong With Me
by OUATShipper
Summary: Killian and Emma have been best friends for as long as they can remember but the two are struggling to maintain their relationship when Killian begins dating the school's head cheerleader as well as Emma struggling to deal with her feelings for her best friend. Bad summary but story will be better


**_Hey guys, this is just a one-shot loosely based on the Taylor Swift song, I hope you enjoy and don't hesitate to leave a review, thank you_**

It was Tuesday night and Emma was sitting in the middle of her bed with her legs crossed and a piece of schoolwork in front of her as she pretended not to be listening into her best friend's clearly heated discussion with his girlfriend. She and Killian were supposed to be working on a project together but he received a phone call from an angry Milah about an hour ago, Killian just told Emma to get started on the work as he paced her bedroom and ran his hand through his dark hair, he hadn't been able to get a word in since the call started and Emma swore that her parents, who were sitting downstairs, could probably hear Milah's rants. Every now and then Emma would look up at her best friend before quickly snapping her attention back to the work she hadn't been doing whenever Killian would look back at her, occasionally giving her a small smile but Emma knew it wasn't genuine. The blonde couldn't understand what Milah's problem was, Killian made one of his jokes after Milah made a comment about him and Neal having a sword fight with pens in school earlier that day and his girlfriend had been pissed at him ever since, all Killian had said was; "When I jab you with my sword, you'll feel it." Although the comment made Emma uncomfortable, she still chuckled because she knew he meant nothing by it, Milah was his girlfriend and if he wanted to make a sex joke in front of her then he could. However, Milah didn't find it as amusing as the trio did as she immediately scoffed and rolled her eyes before calling him a pathetic child and storming off... And five hours later she was still pissed about it, apparently Killian humiliated her in front of her cheerleading buddies and she was struggling to deal with his childish antics.

'She doesn't get your humor like I do.' Emma thought to herself as she decided to give her best friend some privacy and listen to music in her headphones, immediately finding the playlist titled 'Emma&Killian', it was something they had made up a while back and whenever they were feeling down, they would listen to that playlist and their spirits would be lifted. Despite this playlist having such a positive effect on the two, Emma couldn't even begin to imagine Milah listening to it, she would probably have a fit and refuse to talk to her boyfriend for his 'pathetic taste in music' because it wouldn't be good for her image. Emma just wanted him to break up with her as soon as possible, she treated him like shit and it wasn't fair. Killian may seem like he's got everything going for him and has the perfect life but Emma knew that the truth was far from it. See, what people didn't know was that he had one of the worst backgrounds growing up; his mother died during his birth, his father abandoned him and his brother, Liam, when they were both very young but what destroyed Killian the most was when Liam died in a car accident when Killian was just ten-years-old. The boy was forced to live in a foster home in a terrible area which resulted in Killian lashing out a lot in school and at the home. However, when he started high school, he ran away from his foster home to live with Neal and his parents, which is fortunately right besides Emma's house. Killian had always been private about his past, only Emma knew about it, not even Neal was aware of what their friend had been through. Although it was an important part of his life, Emma knew that he hadn't told Milah either and she hated how that girl treated him, regardless of whether she knew his story or not.

The next day, Emma arrived at school wearing a white tank top, skinny jeans and her signature leather jacket, her eyes instantly drawn to the skimpily dressed cheerleader standing a few feet ahead with her so called friends.

'God, could her skirt be any shorter?' Emma rolled her eyes as she made her way out to the bleachers, she had a free period every Wednesday morning so she spent her time watching Killian's PE class out on the football field, mainly so she could admire the way Killian moved so effortlessly across the field and watch as he laughed and had a good time with his friends.

The blonde took a seat at the back of the stands as she got out her work from last night and began finishing the essay she and Killian had eventually started but her attention was drawn from her work when she saw that Killian was thrown the ball and had just won the game for his team, granted it wasn't even his football practise or whatever but she was still proud of him. As she watched her friends laugh and cheer for the dark haired man, she couldn't help but let her mind drift to a time where she hoped Killian would wake up and find everything he was looking for in her. She thought this may have been a tad selfish but she couldn't grasp the idea of Killian spending his life with Milah, for starters she wasn't even his type. Emma had known Killian for as long as she could remember and she knew that his type had always been someone who wasn't afraid to stand up for their beliefs, someone who could let their walls down but remain strong, someone who would be there for others when they needed her to and Milah didn't check off any of those. In fact, Milah was the exact opposite, she was controlling, manipulative and most of all, she had cheated on Killian more times than Emma could count, she just couldn't find it in her to tell her friend. Emma just wanted Killian to be happy and she believed that she could be the one who brought light back into his life after everything, he had always had issues with trust and insecurity, especially in relationships but Emma hoped that she would be the one who could heal him. The eighteen-year-old couldn't help but get frustrated at that, she just wanted him to see that she was the only person who truly understood him and had been there for him after all this time.

'Why can't you see you belong with me?' She thought sadly before she got back to her work.

After school had finished, Killian, knowing that Milah would be at cheerleading practise, walked home with his friends before he and Emma went out for a walk together. They were making their way towards the local park as they spoke about school and what their plans were after the summer. Emma took in her friend's appearance and noticed that he was wearing the jeans she had bought him for his birthday a few years ago; although they were a little worn out she was surprised they still fit him. She wasn't sure if he even remembered that she was the one who bought them for him but this was the first time he had worn them since he had began dating Milah, she always tried to look presentable to others so no wonder she basically told her boyfriend what was okay to wear. The two friends made it to park a few moments later and took a seat on an empty park bench.

"Oh come on, Em, you can't deny that your parents are practically realistic versions of Snow White and Prince Charming!" He exclaimed with his hand out in front of him for emphasis as he explained the similarities between the fairytale characters and her parents.

Emma playfully rolled her eyes, "Alright fine, if you say so! What next? You gonna say I'm like the Evil Queen?" She asked sarcastically.

Killian furrowed his brow as he looked out to the park, "Nah, I'd say that's more your Aunt Regina." He said seriously.

This resulted a burst of laughter from the blonde, Killian had always been terrified of Regina, she wasn't a particularly scary woman it's just that one day, she caught Killian climbing her beloved apple tree when he was younger and he was left looking like his right ear had been painted red. Ever since then he had always been wary around her, even after she married the nicest guy in town.

Killian instantly knew why his friend was laughing and done his best to defend himself, "Hey, if you'd have felt the grip she had on my ear I'm pretty sure you'd be begging for forgiveness too!"

Emma's laughter died down a little but she continued to giggle as she watched Killian pout and pretend to scowl at her, she couldn't help but think about how easy it was to let her walls down around him and watch as he done the same. Eventually, her giggles became infectious and the dark haired joined her. This was the first time Emma had seen him genuinely smile and let himself go in months, Milah really was taking a toll on him and it hurt to see it happen. The blonde was glad she could see him like this, one of the things she loved most about him was his perfect smile, the one that could probably light up an entire town, she loved how it would reach his deep blue eyes and gave them twice the sparkle. For the first time in a while, Killian was truly happy. Emma loved having her best friend back, even if it was just for a few hours, all she wanted was to make him happy and seeing him smile the way he did made her day. Despite trying to remain in the moment, Emma's mind subconsciously thought about previous times where he would insist that he was okay but the blonde knew him better than that, she just didn't know what he was doing with a girl like Milah if she couldn't make him as happy as he was right now.

The following day, Emma found herself sitting on the bleachers once again, only this time it was after school and she was waiting for Killian to finish football practice so he could drive her home since Neal had given him the keys to his car for the day. Once again, she had dazed off and began thinking about what would happen when Killian finally opened his eyes and saw that everything he wanted was right in front of him. Unfortunately for Emma, Milah decided to rain on their parade and the blonde watched as stormed out onto the football field, her heels occasionally getting stuck in the mud, as she grabbed Killian's arm and dragged him off to the side of the field. Despite not being able to hear their conversation, Emma could tell by Milah's actions and Killian's unimpressed face that they were arguing again and as Milah seemed to always think, it was probably Killian's fault. Checking the time, Emma slowly made her way to where he best friend was and ask him if he was ready to go but almost as soon as she stopped beside the bickering couple, Milah scoffed and rolled her eyes at her. Killian, however, was indifferent and rolled his eyes at his girlfriend whilst smiling softly at Emma, except, this smile didn't reach his eyes the way it did yesterday. Milah was really doing a number on him.

"Hey, you ready to go?" Emma asked hesitantly.

Again, Milah rolled her eyes and Killian quickly shot Emma an apologetic look. The blonde knew exactly what he was insinuating and although it hurt her, she just put on a brave face and accepted the consequences. Emma gave him a small nod as well as a tight smile.

"Emma, I-" Emma cut him off before he could even apologise.

"It's fine, Killian, I can walk. Besides, I'll see you tonight anyway." She tried her best not to sound hurt before she walked off in the opposite direction of her best friend.

The dark haired man just stood there and watched as Emma made her way home by herself with a guilty expression on his face, he would love nothing more than to call her back, take her in his arms and kiss her until she was seeing stars but no matter how much he wanted that, he couldn't. Not when he had to deal with an overly bitchy girlfriend.

"So now that that's out of the way, I want you to drive me home and you can finally meet the rest of my family." Milah said, trying to sound kind but she just came off as a complete bitch and with that, the cheerleader stomped towards the car park. "Hurry up, Killian; I don't have time to wait around!"

Killian let out an angry huff as he reluctantly followed his girlfriend to get the car, the only thing that would get him through the rest of this afternoon was knowing that he and Emma had plans later, the thought making him smile shyly as he got into the car and started the engine. However, his smile quickly faded when Milah let out yet another huff and listened to her whine about the state of Neal's car and how Killian should stop depending on other people for rides and income. The eighteen-year-old just ignored her and finally began driving to her house, preparing himself for what was going to be one of the worst nights of his life.

Hours later, Emma was trying not to show her excitement for getting to spend some time with her best friend as she quickly ran down the stairs and went to wait outside his back door, she did think about knocking to be let in but Killian would always just meet her outside and they would go for a walk around the block before going up to one of their bedrooms and getting their work done together. The blonde frowned as she checked her phone for the third time and realised that Killian was late, they always arranged to meet at a certain time and the man had never once been late regardless of what he was doing but Emma was beginning to get anxious as she contemplated texting him to ask his whereabouts before she remembered what had happened earlier that day to which her face fell and all she could feel was anger. It hurt her knowing that he had put that bitch before their friendship, she understood that Milah was his girlfriend and he was sort of obligated to spend time with her but what pissed Emma off was that he hadn't even bothered to call her and let her know that he wouldn't make it tonight so that she wasn't left standing outside in the cold like an idiot. Emma was slowly losing her patience with Milah, eventually she was going to snap and expose her for exactly who she was; a manipulative, cheating bitch who didn't deserve to so much as look at Killian Jones.

Emma angrily made her way back into her house and immediately locked her bedroom door before she let her tears ago, sobbing into her pillow as she thought about how things were changing for the worst and that her happy ending was being ripped away from her as if it were nothing. All she wanted was for her best friend to be happy, even if that happiness wasn't with her but all Emma wanted in life was for Killian to understand that her feelings for him were true and that she didn't just want to be his friend anymore but as long as Milah was in the picture, she was never going to have another moment with him again... And that's how Emma spent the rest of her night, sobbing her heart out because of Killian Jones.

Friday came by quicker than Emma had hoped and she found herself face to face with the boy she was breaking her heart over the night before, trying her best to remain angry with him but his puppy dog eyes and cute little pout was enough to make her cave.

"Swan, I can't even begin to explain how sorry I am. I should've called you, I know that, but Milah-" Emma didn't want him to finish that sentence.

"I get it, she's your girlfriend, you're allowed to spend time with her." She snapped.

"No, look, Emma, I wanted to call you last night but I couldn't, I know this isn't an excuse but I left my phone in the car and Milah wouldn't let me out of her sight. You know how she can get, love," and there it was, that pet name he had given her when they were kids that made her swoon every time.

Even though she knew she shouldn't give in easily, she couldn't help but fall for his charm; he was just too damn perfect. However, the same could not be said for Milah. Why couldn't Killian see how controlling she was? Instead of venting her anger and confessing how much she hated his girlfriend, Emma just smiled at him and accepted his apology but only if he escorted her to her first class to which Killian laughed heartily and offered his arm to the blonde before he took her to their shared English class... And that's how they spent the rest of that day, with Killian waiting on Emma as if he was her servant despite the blonde's consistent protests. Whenever Emma would complain that she could do things herself, Killian just shrugged it off and told her that he owed her for last night and Emma couldn't find it in her to argue, she didn't want to hurt him by telling him that she didn't need his attention all of the time because she could see how much he regretted not calling her the night before and she didn't want him to suffer that guilt any longer.

It was coming up for ten o'clock and Emma was currently sitting on her bed with her pyjamas on, her hair up in a messy bun and her glasses on as she read the story of Snow White, smirking as she thought back to her conversation with Killian and how her parents were essentially the real life versions but she was taken out of her nightly read after she heard something hit off her window. At first she thought it was nothing but then it happened again so she made her way towards the window with a furrowed brow as she took off her glasses and placed them on her dresser. The last thing Emma was expected to see was Killian Jones standing in all his leather glory with a handsome grin on his face as he waved cheekily at her.

"What are you doing?" Emma shouted down to him as she opened the window and leaned out of it.

"Well, I could either tell you from here or you could let me in and I'll tell you then, either way, I don't mind, love." He smirked.

Emma playfully rolled her eyes before making her way downstairs and letting Killian in, ushering him up to her bedroom before her parents to question why he was here. As soon as they entered her bedroom, Emma locked the door and sat on her bed, watching as Killian took a seat on the window ledge and smirked at her again.

"What are you-"

"She was cheating-"

They both said at the same time all whilst cutting each other off, Emma stared at him with wide eyes and her mouth opening and closing whilst Killian just chuckled softly.

"You were, um, saying?" Emma asked as she nervously pushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

Killian looked down at the floor before meeting her gaze, "Milah, she was cheating on me with Robert Gold." He paused with yet another chuckle. "I caught them together by the docks; it was pretty obvious what they were planning on doing." He added quietly.

Emma sat there quietly, occasionally looking at her friend with a sympathetic gaze but his eyes refused to meet hers. "I don't, Killian, I don't know what to say." The blonde was only telling the truth.

At hearing this, Killian finally met her eyes and gave her a small smile before he let out a sigh. "I don't know whether to laugh or cry, a part of me is glad that I don't have to deal with her anymore but she was still my girlfriend, just because I'm relieved to be away from her doesn't mean that I'm not hurt. I just never thought she hit such a low level, I know she didn't like the way I went about things but I tried... I tried for her and that bloody snake has gone and taken her away. I don't know what to do, love, I'm happy that I'm a free man but I don't know how I can be happy when she's betrayed me in the worst way possible!" Killian had raised his voice by the end of it and had tears in his deep blue eyes.

Emma immediately stood up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding him tightly as his tears fell. She could understand his confliction and all she wanted was to take his pain away. After a few moments of her whispering comforting words and gently rubbing his back, Killian put a small gap between the two and smiled sadly up at her, his cheeks wet with tears. Before he could say anything, Emma grabbed his hand and pulled him to her bed, gesturing for him to sit as she went and looked for something in her drawers. Confusion filled his face as he watched Emma pull out a book but smiled slightly when realised what it actually was. The blonde sat down beside him, placed the photo book on the bed and opened it to the first page.

"I found this the other night when I was looking for mom's camera; maybe we can look back on better times and maybe even see how well puberty hit us?" She joked about the last part, smiling widely when Killian laughed.

"Of course, love."

The pair then looked down at the pictures they had taken throughout the years, smiling as they recalled the memories and laughing at their questionable fashion choices. At one point, they came to a picture of Killian and Neal holding plastic swords with Killian wearing one of Emma's father's jackets that was a few sizes too big for him and Neal wearing a green tank top and a pair of tanned pants, what caught Emma's eye was the small plastic tube in Killian's left hand that he had bent in the shape of a hook.

"You guys couldn't just play regular cops and robbers, huh?" She joked, nudging her shoulder with his.

"Eh, I always had a soft spot for the villains. Besides, I rocked that hook and Neal... Well, I doubt anyone could pull off that shirt as well as he did," Killian tried his best not to grimace at the horribly tank top Neal constantly wore, thank god Neal was able to develop a half decent sense of style.

Emma laughed at his attempt to defend himself, "I like the hook, can't lie about that." She winked before turning over onto the next page, finding a picture of her and Killian at their middle school dance. They could both remember that night clear as day, it was the first time she and Killian had ever said they loved each other, as friends of course, but shortly after that night, they both realised that they didn't just have ordinary feelings for each other like most friends would. In the picture, Killian stood looking ever so dashing in a dark blue suit whilst Emma wore a light pink dress with her hair in a ponytail, the boy had his arm wrapped around his best friend's waist as they looked into each other's eyes, both with dazzling smiles on their faces. It was one of the happiest moments of their lives; they were so carefree and innocent. Rather than speaking and ruining their moment of nostalgia, they flipped the page and found a picture of Emma, her parents, Regina and Robin on Regina and Robin's wedding day but standing beside the young blonde was a shaggy haired teen with one of her father's old suits. This one was only about two years old so they both looked fairly similar to the teenagers in the pictures but as soon as Killian saw the picture, he smiled, remembering that this was day he knew he was completely and utterly in love with Emma Swan. The blonde turned to look at her smiling best friend with a questioning look.

"This was night I knew exactly what I wanted in the future; when I knew what type of girl I would settle down with, how many children we would have, everything. You know, ever since I was a young lad, all I ever wanted was get my own boat and travel around the world with the woman I love and that was the night I knew it would all come true."

Emma furrowed her brow slightly; throughout their entire friendship Killian had not once told her this, although it confused her as to why he was telling her now, she didn't question it and let him go on.

"I never thought that someone like me would end up with some- with a friend like you, Emma, you've given me everything and I can't thank you enough for that. When my brother passed away, I was in a dark place, I was an ass to you, to Neal but you stood by me and didn't give up on me and without you, I wouldn't be the man I am today." He continued.

"Killian, you don't have to thank me or apologise for anything, you're my best friend and no matter what, I'm always here for you," Emma said as she stroked his cheek gently.

Killian looked down before looking into her green eyes and smiling, "And I you, love. I suppose I should've listened to Neal when he told me about Milah though, ay?" He tried to joke before the two shared a long pause, "I'm sorry, Emma, you deserve someone who'll never put you second, someone who'll spend every last moment trying to make you smile."

"What are you saying?" Emma asked with a frown.

Killian's eyes widened slightly as he realised what he had said before he quickly stood up, "Nothing, love, I'm just tired. I best be off, I'll see you tomorrow." He gave her one last smile before heading downstairs and out the door. However, instead of going straight inside his home next door, he rest his head against the back door and closed his eyes tightly, thinking about how he had ruined his chance with the woman he had ever truly cared about.

Meanwhile, Emma sat with her head in her hands as she replayed the last few moments over and over again in her mind, letting out a shaky sigh. The whole time Killian was telling her about what he had dreamed about since he was a child, the blonde couldn't help but imagine herself as the one who experienced that all with him. It just wasn't fair, how couldn't he see that Emma was the only who truly understood him and, he said it himself, she was the only who had been there all along for him. Again, she knew it was probably selfish of her but she just wanted Killian to look at her the same way her father looked at her mother, the way Robin looked at Regina but she knew that unless the move was made, she would only be torturing herself. What had Killian meant by his last few words? The blonde stood up from her bed and made her way downstairs and out the door, intent on finding out the meaning behind Killian's words.

Killian, however, was still standing by his back door, leaning against it as he thought about how much he wanted to spend his dream with Emma but he knew she probably didn't even feel the same way about him. All Killian had ever wanted was for Emma to see how much he cared about her and that he would go to the end of the world for her without needing to be asked, the man loved her and it killed him knowing that she would never feel the same way.

As Emma approached the back of Killian's house, she jumped slightly when she noticed a figure standing against the very door she was just about to pound with her fist. The figure noticed that there was someone there and stepped out of the dark, two sets of eyes widening when they realised who each other was. Concern immediately covered Killian's face.

"Are you alright, love?" He asked carefully as he took a step towards Emma.

Emma was still reeling from the shock of him being outside, she hadn't planned to run into him straight away, she needed a few seconds to think about what she was going to say to him. It took a few moments for her to register that Killian had spoken but she eventually regained her composure and just as she was about to confront him, she blurted out the last thing she had planned on telling him.

"I love you."

Both teenagers froze in the spot as Emma mentally panicked, how could she be so naive? As soon as Killian realised what she had said, he gave her a shy smile and went to stand in front of her, leaving a tiny gap between them.

A million thoughts were going through each of their minds at that moments, both contrasting the others. On one hand, Emma was trying to think of a way to defuse the situation and make it better but on the other hand, Killian was thinking about adorable his best friend was as she blushed and frantically stuttered out a jumble of words that made absolutely no sense.

"I mean-"

"I love you too." Killian responded before she could try and deflect the meaning behind her words, he knew exactly what she meant.

Emma's green eyes snapped to his blue one, "Y-you do?" She asked in a whisper, it was a wonder Killian had even heard her.

Again, her best friend just smiled at her before gently cupping her cheek in one hand. Instead of responding with words, Killian slowly leaned forward, giving her time to back out if she needed to but when he found no protests from her part, he gently joined their lips and slowly kissed her.

Emma swore she felt her heart flutter; kissing Killian Jones was the best thing she had ever experienced. At some point through the kiss, she had gripped onto his leather jacket at the waist and moaned at the light pressure he was now applying to her lips.

The two mutually pulled away when air became a necessity but they were both certain that they would have continued until the end of time if it were possibly. When the kiss ended, Emma's eyes fluttered open to see a smiling Killian in front of her, resulting in an involuntary smile on her part.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that."

Emma was slightly shocked by his words; did that mean he had always felt the same way about her? The blonde couldn't help but feel guilty for keeping her feelings hidden for such a long time, maybe she would've saved them years of torture if she had just told him that she loved him when she first started developing these feelings. The blonde's mind then went back to the moment in her bedroom when he had told her about what he dreamed of doing in future and she gasped quietly as everything fell into place.

"The woman you wanted to spend your life with, who is she?" She asked, she knew it was a pathetic question but she had to know.

Killian bit his lip before replying, "Don't you know, Emma?" He paused for a brief second, "It's you."

Emma let out a dreamy sigh as she leaned forward and connected their lips again, only this time she allowed his tongue to enter mouth whilst she wrapped her arms around his neck and his went around her waist, pulling her even closer to him. It may not be the fairytale her parents had or even the one she had in mind but Emma was exactly where she wanted to be, in the arms of her... Boyfriend? Emma didn't even flinch at the thought of the word, she may have been a tad premature in assuming that but she had no doubts that she and Killian Jones would spend the rest of their lives together and if they didn't put a label on it now, they never would have. As for Killian, he was just happy that he could finally be with the only person he had ever cared about in his life and have her by his side throughout everything. It was now clear to the both of them that they belonged together and they wouldn't have it any other way.

 ** _So, what did you guys think? I hope you all enjoyed it, thank you for reading, I'd love to see what you guys thought of it in reviews, if you guys have any prompts or anything you'd like to read just let me know and I'd be more than happy to write them for you, thank you all, until next time_**


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